Courtesy The Red Beans & Rice Combo.

There are plenty of terrific ways to explore Pittsburgh on the first Fridays of each month during summer, including Mt. Lebanons First Fridays, which runs from 7 to 10 p.m. Spanning Washington Rd., the series features live music, all-ages activities and the chance to visit the business districts manyindependent restaurants, boutiques and galleries.

Head there Friday for live music by the rockin Red Beans & Rice Combo.Free to all ages, the concert takes place in Central Square, offering a tranquil grassy area for relaxing, space for the kids to dance and convenient access to the T and surrounding shops.

Featuring Lebo-based illustrators Wayno and Dave Klugalong with acclaimed pianist Tom Roberts, the suave and witty combo will delight crowds with its danceable blend of Nola R&B, barroom ballads and Tin Pan Alley jazz.

Head to Commonwealth Press for apop-up shop featuring childrens products by 2468 KIDS, sweet and salty popcorn snacks and more.

Mark your calendars for August 4 with The Grateful Dead tribute band Fungus, and September 16 for the Uptown Block Party with Radio Tokyo.

Commonwealth Pressmt. lebanonMt. Lebanon First FridaysThe Red Beans & Rice ComboThings to do in PittsburghTom RobertsWashington RoadWayno

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Free First Fridays series in Mt. Lebanon features live music and family fun - NEXTpittsburgh

These days, being able to find vegan products and specialty stores in the U.S. really isnt that hard. After all, most grocers have well-stocked aisles, filled with plant-based options and the list of vegan food stores and restaurants is pretty impressive.There is a slew of stores popping up lately as the vegan trend grows, like Londons own vegan grocery store called GreenBay. Australians can check out Vegan Perfection, and if you live in the UK,you can make a visit to Honest to Goodness. Most recently, India-based startup Wegan Foods landed funding to offer vegan options to its plant-based community in Mumbai. And now, vegan consumers in Isreal have reason to celebrate, with the opening of its first vegan supermarket in Tel Aviv!

Gal Hayarok (Green Wave), opened in the Caramel Market of Tel Aviv, which is considered the vegan capital of Israel, and offers several vegan bars and restaurants. The new supermarket boasts over 4,000 plant-based products and describes itself as a safe space for herbivores.

Founders RefaelAvraham and EylonZakzar,want to make vegan options more accessible and with their plans to open five more stores across the country by next year, that shouldnt be a problem. The founders also personally guarantee that all their products are absolutely, 100 percent animal-free at all stages of production. Some of the products sold include baked goods, snack foods, legumes, cheeses, cereals, dairy-free alternatives, ready-meals, protein bars, and spices.

Plant-based eating has grown tremendously in Israel over the last decade. This comes as little surprise seeing as Israels Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development made the move toinstall cameras in their slaughterhouses, and the Israeli Armydecidedtoserve vegan food in theircafeterias back in 2014. Additionally, Israel has more vegans per capita than any other country in the world. With the addition, and hopeful expansion, of this vegan grocery chain we cant wait to see whats next for this awesome country!

Image Source:Iakov Filimonov/Shutterstock

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Israel's First Vegan Supermarket Just Opened! - One Green Planet

Vegans, rejoice. A restaurant week just for plant eaters is coming to Baltimore.

Baltimores Vegan Restaurant Week will be Aug. 18-26, said event coordinator Shannon Light Hadley, and aims to include dozens of Baltimore-area restaurants.

Vegan Restaurant Week will not operate like typical restaurant weeks, when patrons shell out hefty sums for a three- or four-course prix-fixe menu. Rather, restaurants are challenged to create an innovative vegan menu item like Blue Pit BBQs pulled jackfruit and slaw sandwich, a vegan alternative to traditional pulled pork or chicken.

The main goal is, on the patron side, to say, Hey, a vegan option doesnt have to be something that sounds boring, Hadley said.

The new endeavor was born out of a partnership between Hampdens Golden West Cafe and Mount Vernons The Land of Kush. Golden West Cafe had been hosting its own version of a vegan restaurant week twice a year for the last few years, said Hadley, who is part of the restaurants management staff. Land of Kush co-creator Naijha Wright-Brown approached Golden West and proposed a collaborative project.

Wright-Brown and Hadley have been beating the streets, Hadley said, to drum up interest in their respective neighborhoods. There are 10 restaurants currently involved in the restaurant week, but organizers would like to lock in 40 participating establishments, Hadley said.

Visit Baltimore and Yelp are sponsoring the restaurant week and will be promoting the event as it draws closer. The Black Vegetarian Society of Baltimore and the Restaurant Association of Maryland are also sponsors.

Richard Gorelick, The Baltimore Sun

Hampden's pioneering restaurant serves huge portions of family-friendly fare

Hampden's pioneering restaurant serves huge portions of family-friendly fare (Richard Gorelick, The Baltimore Sun)

Hadley said Vegan Restaurant Week aims to be financially accessible on all levels to patrons who might not want to spend lavishly to participate and to restaurants that might be too daunted to create a whole vegan menu.

Theres a lot of evidence that a plant-based diet is healthy for you, healthy for the environment, Hadley said. Theres a large population that [engages in] this mindful eating, so if youre not supporting them, youre missing out.

dohl@baltsun.com

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Vegan Restaurant Week coming to Baltimore in August - Baltimore Sun (blog)

Lately, it feels a little bit like theres been a mandate set in place that says we cant go a week without a new, all-vegan grocery store opening up. Last week, the French organic grocery chain, Naturalia, opened up three all-vegan locations. Not long before that,Londons first all-vegan grocery store opened its doors. While nowadays, its easy to step into just about any grocery store with a full weeks worth of staples like plant-based milk (and not just almond, soy, and coconut highfalutin varieties, like macadamia and hemp), tempeh, tofu, and of course fresh fruit and veggies, the concept of a vegan grocery is nice. Its aplace where you can do you shopping without having to check the label unless you have allergies, which in that case, please check the label.

This summer, Long Islands first completely vegan grocery, Sweet to Lick The Market, will open its doors in Williston Park, a village on western Long Island. The shop will open three doors down from Sweet to Lick, Long Islands first vegan bakery. According to The Island Now, the market will feature fresh local greens and packaged vegan foods, so shoppers will be able to pick up their groceries and then go grab avegan Italian rainbow cookie,in true Long Island fashion, only without the eggs or dairy. (P.S. Cant make it out to Long Island? Try this recipe for vegan Italian rainbow cookies.)

In spite of being close to New York City, one of the most veg-friendly cities in the world, Long Island has long been a dry spot when it comes to vegan options. Luckily, as more and more people in the United States are choosing to eat more plant-based foods, options have grown. Little Nook Cafe, a late night spot in Sayville, offers vegan pizza and baked goods from the award-winning Vegan Treats bakery in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Cornucopia Natural Foods, also located in Sayville, is an organic grocery that offers local produce, vegan grocery staples, and a deli counter in the back with a wide selection of options for those looking to grab a quick bite to eat. And Sweet Annabelles,a vegan ice cream company whose founder Lorene started off selling her wares at a former dairy-farm-turned-sanctuary or at farmers markets, is now available at Batata Cafe, a local spot that offers a vegan menu.

Sweet to Lick The Market is set to open later this summer. According to founder Michael Sabet, So many of the vegan spots are like, just so cool, and Im maybe just not cool enough to be there. But this is my place. Its exactly as cool as I am, so my familys welcome, your familys welcome.

Love to cook plant-based? We highly recommend checking out theFood Monster app, a food app available for bothAndroidandiPhone. The app has over 8,000+ vegan recipes with 10+ recipes added daily. Give it a try!

Image source: Sweet to Lick

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Long Island's First All-Vegan Grocery Store Set to Open This Summer - One Green Planet

Can we say whether or not a well balanced, vegan diet is BEST for human health?I will tell you the answer momentarily, but first- reasons for posing the question now.

A recently released documentary called What the Health reportedly makes the case for vegan diets, arguing that the attendant benefits are among the best-kept secrets of the medical-pharmaceutical complex.I say reportedly, because I have yet to see the film, although it is on my to-do list.A number of my friends and colleagues are featured.

The film came to my particular attention in a roundabout way.A video blogger with a MD degree and a sharp sense of humor, along with, apparently, a quite unprepossessing career in medicine- decided to assault the film for the entertainment of his social media followers.Colleagues of mine saw the critique, and gave as good- or better- than they got, in both video and print.References to, and remnants of the exchange made their way into my in-box.Rather like Mel Gibsons character in The Patriot, I felt obligated to enter the fray when the battle line rolled up to my front door.

Can we say whether or not a well balanced, vegan diet is BEST for human health?No.But we cant say it isnt, either.And when other considerations are factored in- such as the ethical treatment of other species, and environmental impact- the arguments for well-practiced veganism are extremely compelling.

Why cant we say, for sure, that an optimized vegan diet is the single best choice for human health?Quite simply, the study required to prove that has not been done, and almost certainly never will be, because it is well nigh impossible to conduct.

To prove that any one, specific diet is truly THE best requires comparing it to all other diets that are valid contenders.In this case, that could reasonably include, at a minimum, comparably optimal representations of Mediterranean, vegetarian, pescatarian, and flexitarian diets.Randomization should ideally happen at birth, or even in utero, and the outcomes that prove a diet is best- the combination of longevity, and lifelong vitality- require that the study run for entire lifetimes.

Because the comparison is among diets that are all optimized, and because other health practices would have to be standardized and comparable across groups, those lifetimes would likely be rather long, and the between-group differences small.Imagine, for instance, conducting a study intended to show the differential effects on longevity and vitality of running 35 miles a week, versus 32 miles a week.There might well be a dose-response effect ensuing, but it would be very small in the mix of factors influencing health over a lifetime, and hard to spot.When outcomes are small and hard to spot, sample sizes need to be very large to magnify them, and make them visible.

Our diet study has this same liability.So, it would require a vast sample of people (and/or their pregnant mothers) willing to be randomized to a specific diet for a lifetime.It would then require adherence to the assignment for that entire lifetime, and routine measures to confirm it.The investigators involved in launching the study would need a mechanism to pass it along to successors, since they would all die of old age before the study is done.I trust at this point I need not say more about why such a study has never been conducted, and is more than a little unlikely.

At one extreme, then, the claim that veganism is established to be the single, best diet for human health is somewhat exaggerated.Relevant evidence cannot correctly be said to be more than suggestive. From my perspective, having reviewed the relevant evidence with as much renunciation of a priori bias as humans can hope to achieve- both for a commissioned peer-reviewed paper, and a textbook- there is nearly comparable suggestive evidence for several variants on the theme of wholesome foods, predominantly plants, in time-honored and sensible combinations.I have heard my more ardent, vegan colleagues claim that wild salmon is toxic food for people.I am aware of no epidemiological evidence to substantiate that claim, but I would readily accept their argument that being eaten is certainly toxic to the fish.

At the other extreme is the argument one tends to hear when veganism is being disparaged and ridiculed, generally by those who simply like bacon and baloney, or -more ominously- by those trying to sell you one or the other, that we need meat to be strong and healthy.This claim figures among the baloney.

What animals need to be big and strong is not foods that resemble the muscles they are hoping to grow; that is simple-minded mythology, perhaps aided and abetted by the beef industry.They simply need foods to which they are adapted.The mightiest muscles of any land animal, those of the elephant, are produced entirely on a diet of plants.The mightiest muscles in the sea- those of the blue whale- are produced on a diet of tiny animals, krill and copepods.Lions build their muscles from meat; gorillas all but entirely from plants, and horses from plants exclusively.The greatest of human muscles is inconsequential as compared to any of these.

Some species are obligate herbivores, and some others are obligate carnivores; neither has a choice about how to grow their muscles, because choice is constrained by their anatomy, physiology, and underlying adaptations.We humans are decisively omnivorous, meaning its a matter of choice.We can grow our muscle, and even fuel world-class athletic prowess, with plant or animal foods.Any argument that meat is necessary is simply misguided, uninformed, and ignorant.Among factors that matter in the determination of human muscle mass, strength, fitness, and performance- meat is moot.

Thus fail the arguments at the extremes in either direction, from my perspective.But lets be clear that arguments for vegan diets at a time of climate change, drying aquifers, industrial farming, assaults on biodiversity, rampant chronic disease, and global population pressures are anything but moot.

Consider, for example, just these two facts.A study out of Harvard, published in 2010, compared various sources of protein in the diet with regard to cardiovascular disease in over 80,000 women.The single, greatest beneficial effect observed derived from the displacement of beef in the diet, by beans.A study out of Loma Linda University, published in May of 2017, projects that the routine substitution of beans for beef by Americans- independent of any other climate control strategy- could achieve over 50% of the greenhouse gas emission reductions targeted for 2020 in the Paris Accord we have since decided to abandon.

Just those two facts make for a formidable argument on their own: humans can choose to grow their muscles out of beans, or beef, and beans are almost certainly, massively better for the health of humans, and the planet, alike.Mic drop.

But, actually, there are reasons to keep talking.

Beans are a staple in the diets of the worlds longest-lived, most vital peoples, among the more salient of themes running through the worlds Blue Zones.While absence of evidence on behalf of other diets is not reliable evidence of absence, the fact is that only vegan and near-vegan diets have been shown to shrink atherosclerotic plaque; reduce LDL as effectively as statins; and modify gene expression in a manner suggesting the potential to prevent the development and progression of cancer.Maybe other diets can do all this- but the burden is on them to prove it.

There are also the dire ethical implications of animal food, mass-produced.The only way anyone who has ever loved a dog can think of bacon as the casual, fun garnish into which our culture has turned it is either willful hypocrisy- or this.Pigs are highly intelligent, often claimed to be more intelligent than dogs; are sociable and can form bonds with humans just like dogs; and are routinely slaughtered in callous cruelty to embellish our cheeseburgers.

Yes, its true that vegans need to supplement vitamin B12.But so what?The argument that this requirement makes the dietary approach flawed or incomplete tosses out the baby for the sake of an inconsequential drop of bathwater, and fails the meanest test of parity.

These days, with marketing claims based on the gratuitous addition of vitamins to water, its harder to avoid nutrient supplements than to acquire them.All routinely clothed, indoor-working, northern-living humans need to supplement vitamin D, one way or another.Most humans exposed to modern living, and certainly those exposed to the liabilities of mass-produced animal foods such as second-hand antibiotics, are apt to benefit from probiotics.Veganism obligates select supplementation little more than modern living does.

Can we say that a balanced vegan diet is the single, best option for human health?No, we can only say it is among the likely contenders.Can we say that veganism is compatible with the adaptations of our omnivorous species?Certainly yes.Can we say that it allows for peak performance and muscle mass?Certainly yes.Can we say that it reliably garners the votes of the climate, the pigs and all other animals, and the planet?Certainly yes.

Argue against veganism if you choose, but concede it is because you like- or are selling- cheese, or meat.Other arguments are mostly just so much baloney.

Editorial note: for those wanting to know, the author is not vegan- although he eats a diet of minimally processed foods, predominantly plants, and does not eat any mammals and most other animals for ethical reasons.He counts four 4-legged animals, 3 dogs and a horse, among his closest friends.

Senior Medical Advisor, Verywell.com

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The Vegan Argument - HuffPost

SPOILER WARNING: This issue contains spoilers for Deathstroke #21, on sale now.

After spending the bulk of last issue in a gathering the team excercise for the series new status quo, Priest and artist Diogenes Neves devote Deathstroke #21 to gathering the team, albeit from a few different angles. Agendas are revealed, mysteries deepened, and the sincerity of Slade Wilsons conversion is called into question. But perhaps the biggest revelation comes on the final page, where Defiances missing member makes her debut.

It sure looks like Terra is a double agent. Again.

This issue, like most of Priests run on the title so far, is broken up into segments delineated by a word or phrase in an all-black panel. Here, the marker is the character or characters in focus for the scene. The opener is dedicated to the League of Assassins Willow, who executes a genocidal butcher known as the Grocer. Its unclear, though, how she fits into the series will she join Deathstrokes team Defiance? Oppose them? Or simply complicate things?

RELATED: Titans #11 Finally Brings the Flash Face-to-Face with [SPOILER]

From there, were on more solid footing as Adeline, Slades ex-wife and the mother of his sons, takes center stage. Adeline and Slade did not part amicably, as recounted in this issue the former Mrs. Wilson shot Deathstroke in the eye after holding him responsible for their son Grants death and in retaliation for his reunion with Rose, his daughter from outside of their marriage. (Addie doesnt put things quite so kindly.) Now, though, shes ready to lead Project Defiance as a secret government initiative, with Deathstroke reporting directly to her.

Deathstroke goes along with it sort of.

The next section, Wally and Tanya, brings a moment of levity to the issue, while also giving a pretty intriguing look at what drives these characters, their similarities and differences. Wally West Kid Flash asks Tanya Spears, aka Power Girl, what grade shes in. A perfectly reasonable question, given their similar ages. I have two PhDs, she replies. Tanya also recaps her origin story, noting that her mentor Karen Starr, the original Power Girl, left Tanya her name, powers, and access to her technology empire, when Ms. Starr returned to her own Earth.

This is worth noting because, in the shifting sands of post-Rebirth continuity, the status of Earth 2 is still a huge question. In the New 52 universe still in many ways the operative timeline Earth 2 was an alternate reality in which a war with Apokalips brought the planet to its knees, and the world was only saved through the heroic sacrifices of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. Eventually, this version of Earth was destroyed, though its heroes found and colonized a new planet in the aftermath of Convergence. But in pre-Flashpoint continuity, which is stridently reasserting itself elsewhere in the DCU, Earth 2 was home to the Justice Society and other Golden Age originals, of which the classic version of Jay Garrick, Earth 2s Flash, recently made an appearance in the Batman/Flash crossover The Button. In both continuities, Karen Starr was originally from Earth 2 before emigrating to Earth 1. Tanyas statement here suggests that Power Girls repatriation which occurred in the New 52 definitely took place; the question now is, from the current point of view, which Earth 2 she returned to.

RELATED: Why Arrows Deathstroke Deserves His Own TV Spinoff

Later, in the issues final scene, Adeline reveals that the black kids were not part of her plan for the team, which could lead to an interesting dynamic when loyalties are tested. Its also worth noting that Kid Flash and Power Girl, the only unambiguously heroic members of Defiance, are also the only ones without a deep-seated hatred for Deathstroke.

His kids, for example, certainly bear a grudge.

In the Jericho and Rose scene, the half-siblings debate whether or not Deathstroke killed Jerichos fiance tienne, and both agree that yeah, probably he did. Jericho maintains some doubt though, and states that learning the truth is my only motivation for joining Pops team.

Slade, meanwhile, is taking his mentorship of a new generation of heroes very seriously. First, in the Slade chapter, he scours news reports for a world crisis suitable for testing Defiances mettle. He finally finds it, oddly enough, in recognizing the chauffeur of a small nations president as a former notorious drug kingpin. Though there is a contract out on the man, Deathstroke executes him on the house, and in so doing sets off an international incident. Now call in Defiance!

But of course the twist comes in Wintergreen, the final chapter, where we learn that Slades not-always-trusty confidant is conspiring with Adeline to end Deathstroke forever. Wintergreen and Adeline also implicate themselves in tiennes death by noting that they both know that Deathstroke was not responsible.

And then, theres the final page reveal of Terra. Who not only has the stomach for a little back-stabbing, as Adeline puts it, but is positively eager to dive in.

Though Terra has appeared in a variety of Titans-related series through the years, the conflicted earth-powered characteris most famous for her role in the Marv Wolfman and George Perez classic The Judas Contract, where she charmed her way into the Teen Titans before revealing herself as a spy for Deathstroke. That story arc also strongly suggested that Slade and the underage Terra were engaged in a sexual relationship. Early in his run on the current Deathstroke series, Priest had said he would clear up once and for all the truth of Slade and Terras relationship, which he said would take place in a crossover with Teen Titans. Plans clearly changed, as Terra did not even appear in that recently-concluded crossover, but perhaps that story is coming soon.

RELATED: Deathstroke, Kid Flashs New Team Teased in Lazarus Contract Finale

At any rate, that Terra would feature in the Defiance lineup was never a secret; shes right there on the cover, after all. But her role as saboteur is a twist. Of course, nothing is ever straightforward in Deathstrokes world, where rival assassins are always thinking five moves ahead; its entirely possible that Slade recruited Terra before Wintergreen and Adeline even had the chance.

That unknowability goes a long way toward elevating the tension and excitement of Deathstroke. What is Slade up to, really? Can he prevail over his adversaries? Should we even want him to? Hes smart enough not to trust his ex, surely; but what does he know? And of course, what are the consequences for the young heroes who follow his lead?

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Terra's Secret Revealed as Deathstroke's Titans Team Assembles - CBR (blog)

(CNN)

His disciples maintain he is in a deep meditative state, others say he is dead.

Now a court in India has ruled that the followers of deceased spiritual guru Ashutosh Maharaj can continue to preserve his body in a commercial freezer, indefinitely.

Founder of Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan (Divine Light Awakening Mission), Maharaj was declared dead by authorities in January 2014.

But disciples at his 100-acre ashram in northern India claim he is in a state of samadhi -- the highest plane of meditation -- and will return to life after the fulfillment of his spiritual mission.

A court battle over the body began almost immediately after Maharaj's death.

Dalip Kumar Jha, who claims to be Maharaj's son, had filed a petition demanding the right to cremate his father's body in line with traditional Hindu rituals.

But on Thursday, the Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed his petition.

The court cited "freedom of religion" and a "lack of cremation laws" in ruling in favor of the continued preservation of Maharaj's body.

Maharaj was apparently born in the northern state of Bihar and left his family to become a religious preacher. He founded his sect in 1983 in Punjab to promote "self awakening and global peace" amid a period of militancy and armed conflict.

Maharaj is a controversial figure in Punjab, with local media alleging he had faced protests and threats to his life from conservative Sikh groups in the region.

His sect claims it has over 5,000 volunteers and conducts more than 40,000 events across the world. Its followers took to Twitter to celebrate the court's decision.

The court also overturned a 2014 ruling by a lower court that had ordered the state to cremate the guru.

In a 40-page judgment, the court remarked that since no laws existed to make disposal of a body by the state compulsory, no action could be taken against the ashram or its preservation of the body.

"We thus, find ourselves in a piquant situation where in the absence of any law or obligation flowing therefrom, to give any directions to dispose of the body even if one were to venture considering to do so," read the ruling.

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Court rules dead guru can be preserved in a freezer - WCVB Boston

Grace Vincent founded the Ashram Community with her husband, John, a Methodist minister

My friend and colleague Grace Vincent, who has died aged 83, was committed to the cause of social justice, and her example inspired many others.

With her husband, John, a Methodist minister, Grace founded the Ashram Community in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, in 1967. They were part of a movement that asserted the importance of following the radical example of Jesus in living a Christian life, with the aim of making a significant difference in the world. The community adopted both the eastern concept of building a spiritual resource and the western emphasis on commitment to working among people experiencing poverty.

Grace and John encompassed the very best of modern Christianity, combining vision with day-to-day application. This always took a bottom-up approach, working with people rather than on their behalf, both in community work and in style of worship. Through the Ashram Community, Grace provided support and encouragement to several generations of people living in disadvantaged urban areas.

Grace was born in Kodaikanal, south India, daughter of the Rev Wilfred Stafford and his wife, Dora (nee Johnston), Irish Methodist missionaries. The family remained in India until Grace was 14, when she was sent to school at Methodist college, Belfast. She later studied English literature at Queens University Belfast and in 1958 married John Vincent.

From the Rochdale mission, Grace and John moved in 1970 to inner-city Sheffield, where Grace taught English as a second language at local schools. She set up New Roots, a wholefoods shop for justice that inspired many, including me and other local students, with its evident call to environmental and social justice.

This stands alongside the inner-city work the Ashram Community established and still sustains, most notably at the Burngreave Ashram in Sheffield, which offers a weekly free meal to all (Grace last took part a week before her death) and where destitute migrants and homeless people are often housed. There are also a number of community houses in the area and those living in them work and volunteer locally. The Ashram Community has spread throughout the UK and continues to be inspired and guided by Grace and Johns vision, writings and dedication.

John and their three children, Christopher, Faith and James, survive her.

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Grace Vincent obituary - The Guardian

Shares of Ashram Onlinecom Ltd. (ASHRAM.BO) touched a high of 1.20and dipped down to a low of 1.20before settling at 1.20in the most recent session. The stock has experienced bearish momentum as its ATR or Average True Range has dipped consistently over the past 10 sessions.

When focusing on technical stock analysis, traders and investors may choose to also study the ATR or Average True Range. The present 14-day ATR for Ashram Onlinecom Ltd. (ASHRAM.BO) is currently standing at 0.04. The ATR basically measures the volatility of a stock on a day-to-day basis. The average true range is typically based on 14 periods and may be calculated daily, weekly, monthly, or intraday. The ATR is not considered a directional indicator, but it may reflect the strength of a particular move.

Currently, the 14-day ADX for Ashram Onlinecom Ltd. (ASHRAM.BO) is sitting at 33.16. Generally speaking, an ADX value from 0-25 would indicate an absent or weak trend. A value of 25-50 would support a strong trend. A value of 50-75 would identify a very strong trend, and a value of 75-100 would lead to an extremely strong trend. ADX is used to gauge trend strength but not trend direction. Traders often add the Plus Directional Indicator (+DI) and Minus Directional Indicator (-DI) to identify the direction of a trend.

Checking in on some other technical levels, the 14-day RSI is currently at 34.10, the 7-day stands at 31.60, and the 3-day is sitting at 37.17. Many investors look to the Relative Strength Index (RSI) reading of a particular stock to help identify overbought/oversold conditions. The RSI was developed by J. Welles Wilder in the late 1970s. Wilder laid out the foundation for future technical analysts to further investigate the RSI and its relationship to underlying price movements. Since its inception, RSI has remained very popular with traders and investors. Other technical analysts have built upon the work of Wilder. The 14-day RSI is still a widely popular choice among technical stock analysts.

Investors may be watching other technical indicators such as the Williams Percent Range or Williams %R. The Williams %R is a momentum indicator that helps measure oversold and overbought levels. This indicator compares the closing price of a stock in relation to the highs and lows over a certain time period. A common look back period is 14 days. Ashram Onlinecom Ltd. (ASHRAM.BO)s Williams %R presently stands at -91.84. The Williams %R oscillates in a range from 0 to -100. A reading between 0 and -20 would indicate an overbought situation. A reading from -80 to -100 would indicate an oversold situation.

Taking a closer look from a technical standpoint, Ashram Onlinecom Ltd. (ASHRAM.BO) presently has a 14-day Commodity Channel Index (CCI) of -53.97. Typically, the CCI oscillates above and below a zero line. Normal oscillations tend to stay in the range of -100 to +100. A CCI reading of +100 may represent overbought conditions, while readings near -100 may indicate oversold territory. Although the CCI indicator was developed for commodities, it has become a popular tool for equity evaluation as well.

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Putting the Technicals Into Perspective For Ashram Onlinecom Ltd. (ASHRAM.BO) - Union Trade Journal

Amazon Inc.'s (AMZN) $13.7 billion industry-transforming acquisition of grocer Whole Foods (WFM) is putting the takeover spotlight on Hain Celestial (HAIN) , the only remaining publicly traded pure-play natural- and organic-food company.

WFMis Hain's largest customer (indirectly), and it's where HAIN sells a variety of organic products, including well-known brands Terra Chips and Celestial Seasonings teas.

"Whole Foods has not been doing that well from a sales perspective," said Amit Sharma, analyst at BMO Capital Markets."If Amazon can turn that around, it would be a boost to Hain because [Hain] is one of the largest suppliers to Whole Foods."

Akshay Jagdale, analyst at Jefferies, agrees, noting that he thinks the market is missing the potential positive impact on consumption, assuming Amazon is successful in gaining share in the natural- and organic-food space.

However, even more importantly for shareholders is that Hain also has an activist investor at its gate. Engaged Capital's Glenn Welling launched a campaign last week that included the beginnings of a rare change-of-control director election battle at Hain. If successful at taking control of Hain's board - Welling seeks seven of eight director slots -- it is extremely likely that Engaged will seek to bolster sales through investment in promotion at the same time that the insurgent fund seeks to find a buyer for the company or some of its brands.

Wellinghas already taken a big step towards victory by accumulating a 10% stake -- and his track record suggests that some of Hain's big institutional investors already have his back.

As far as acquisitions go, some traditional packaged food companies could be interested in Hain or some of its brands, as they seek to increase their exposure to organic foods. These include PepsiCo Inc. (PEP) Campbell Soup Co. (CPB) , Hormel Foods Corp. (HRL) , General Mills Inc. (GIS) , Kraft Heinz Co. (KHC) , Nestle SA, and Unilever NV (UN) . A Hain auction would follow France's Danone SA's $12.5 billion acquisition of organic foods company WhiteWave Foods Co.

"It is easy to see why traditional packaged-food companies want to buy organic-food businesses," said Sharma. "Organic natural foods are growing at 8% to 10%, while traditional packaged foods are hardly growing. Conceptually, it makes sense for these companies to want to buy Hain, which could be that growth for them."

Also, consider also that Engaged, based in Newport Beach, Calif., has a mostly successful track record when it comes to organic- and healthy-food companies and M&A. Boulder Brands, which makes Earth Balance and Evol Foods, was sold to Pinnacle Foods in 2015 shortly after Engaged became involved.

Also, Engaged Capital helped negotiate an $85 million investment by Oaktree Capital in October at Canadian natural- and organic-foods processor SunOpta Inc. (STKL) , an investment that helped drive the company's shares up to its recent price of just under $10 a share (from about $6 at the time). Engaged has been successful at driving recent sales of companies in other sectors, including Redbox kiosk maker Outerwall Inc.'s sale to Apollo Global Management for $1.6 billion and medical device maker HeartWare International Inc. purchase by Medtronic plc (MDT) for $1.1 billion.

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Amazon's Deal for Whole Foods Could Mean This Organic-Food Company Is Sold Next - TheStreet.com